Buffalo Bills News - December 6, 2016

The unraveling [1:37 AM]WGR-AM reports:
'So here we sit. 6-6, still, perpetually, annoyingly, annually, "In The Hunt". We'll continue to debate the future of the quarterback. Some fans will start to come looking for Rex Ryan. It's the NFL's circle of life in Buffalo. There is still a quarter of the season to go. They could run the table and end up with the most wins since 1999. They could completely unravel and a housecleaning that includes the quarterback being kicked to the curb could really gain some traction. They could, and most likely I'd say, will spilt those four games and finish 8-8.'

The day everything turned on Bills QB Tyrod Taylor [1:36 AM]WKBW-TV reports:
'Four completed passes, 15 attempts, 30 passing yards, one sack taken, one delay of game penalty, and an interception — all in 38 minutes of play. A good way to see a quarterback’s overall effectiveness is by yards per attempt, and through that stretch, the math is pretty easy'

Percy Harvin placed on non-football illness list [1:34 AM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'When he rejoined the Bills following a brief retirement Percy Harvin felt spry and healthy. But after appearing in two games Harvin began to experience severe migraine headaches rendering unfit to play in the past two games. On Monday the team made the decision to put Harvin on the reserve/non-football illness list.'

Bills Today: Keeping their composure [1:33 AM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'“That’s one of our problems we have to clean up,” said Sammy Watkins. “When a team makes their surge we’ve got to keep our composure. I don’t think we handled that well in any game. We’ve got to start keeping our composure, play the next play, and move on from it. We always get riled up and we’re yelling and stuff like that. We have to stay composed.”'

December 5, 2016

Collapse dents Bills playoff hopes [8:19 AM]Olean Times Herald reports:
'After 2 1/2 quarters of playing genuinely impressive football against one of the league’s best teams, on the West Coast at that, the Bills folded like an origami swan.'

Bills shell-shocked by stunning collapse against Raiders [1:59 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'The turn of events almost defied description. One minute, the Bills were leading, 24-9 ... the next, they were giving up 29 unanswered points on the way to falling to 6-6 and virtual elimination from the playoffs.'

Jerry Sullivan: Bills go to pieces on the road (again) [1:55 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'I should have known better. Long-suffering Bills watchers know better by now. They have a library of regrettable history as a guide. This is what the Bills do. They raise people's hopes, nudge their fans into a state of belief, and then, as always, they come crashing to Earth when it truly matters.'

Vic Carucci's Points After: Raiders 38, Bills 24 [1:51 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'The Bills' season is, for most practical purposes, over. They likely needed to win all of their remaining five games to have a shot at making the playoffs as a wild-card team. Now, they're on the verge of elimination with four games left.'

Mark Gaughan's 10 Plays That Shaped the Game: Raiders picked apart Bills coverage plan [1:50 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'By quick count, the Bills rushed three and dropped eight on 12 pass plays. But Raiders quarterback Derek Carr still was good enough in the fourth quarter to pick apart the Bills’ zones. Buffalo blitzed five or more on just six plays. In a perfect world, the Ryan brothers would like to attack more than that. Ironically, Carr beat one of those few blitzes for the game’s go-ahead touchdown.'

Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Bills struck by Mack truck, crash into ditch [1:49 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'The weird thing about their 38-24 loss to the Raiders was the Bills showed no apparent signs of driving off the road. They were cruising along, enjoying the peace and serenity of a Sunday afternoon drive when suddenly someone jerked the wheel and steered them into a ditch.'

Jay Skurski's Report Card: Running game was great, but Bills will want to run away from other g [1:40 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'It’s a problem when McCoy is the team’s leading receiver, as he was with seven catches for 61 yards. Buffalo’s longest completion was a 22-yarder to Justin Hunter that served as his only catch. Tyrod Taylor has now gone three straight games throwing for less than 200 yards. He and Sammy Watkins clearly weren’t on the same page on at least a couple occasions Sunday. The injuries at wide receiver certainly don’t help, but that excuse is getting old. General Manager Doug Whaley can share some of the blame for mismanaging the position if the players on the field can’t get it done.'

Total, epic meltdown as Bills lose 38-24 to Raiders [1:38 AM]Rochester D&C reports:
'The Bills played the way losers play, the way a team that doesn’t know how to win plays. They played scared, they played conservative, they played not to lose, and of course, what did they end up doing? They lost.'

Maiorana: Another depressing December on tap for Bills [1:37 AM]Rochester D&C reports:
'What a charade. What that line doesn’t say is that for the miracle to happen, the first thing they’re going to have to do is win their remaining four games, and after watching that performance in Oakland Sunday, does anyone truly believe they’re capable of sweeping the last four, especially when the gauntlet starts with the Steelers next week?'